| |||||
Country | Alaska | ||||
Governorate | Sitka | ||||
Language official |
Russian (de facto) | ||||
others | Aleut, English, Tlingit | ||||
Religion main |
Eastern Orthodox | ||||
others | Protestant, Shamanic | ||||
Ethnic groups main |
Russians and Ukrainians | ||||
others | English, Norwegians, Tlingits | ||||
Founded | 1804 | ||||
Population | 298,610 | ||||
Time zone | IST (UTC-9) | ||||
summer | IDT (UTC-8) |
New Archangel, also known as Novoarkhangelsk (Russian: Новоархангельск), is an independent city within Sitka which serves as the national capital of the Alaskan Democratic Federative Republic. The port was established in 1804 by Alexander Baranov, and would replace Pavlovskaia as the headquarters of the Russian-American Company in 1808 (thereby becoming the capital of Russian America).
History
Prior to the arrival of Russia, all of Baranof Island had been settled by the Tlingit people for over 10,000 years. The first attempt at Russian colonization took place in 1799 with the construction of Fort Saint Micheal. In 1802, Tlingit warriors "clad in animal-headed helmets and armour" destroyed the original establishment, killing four hundred Russians and enslaving the rest, with only a few managing to escape. Governor Alexander Baranov was forced to levy 10,000 rubles in ransom for the safe return of the surviving settlers.
Lead by Baranov, the Russians would return to the area with a militia of Russians and Aleuts (brought by the warship Neva). In what would become known as the Siege of New Archangel, the Russians would fight off the natives from the fort. Following his victory, Baranov ordered the reconstruction of a new settlement in the area. The new settlement was named New Archangel, named after the Baranov's hometown of Arkhangelsk (which prior to the 20th century had been commonly known in English as "Archangel").
|